


Quarantine

by babykpats



Series: Short Shorts [12]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Pandemics, Quarantine, Virus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:08:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23473738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babykpats/pseuds/babykpats
Summary: On the eve of the national quarantine, Ian decides to go out and celebrate their last night of freedom.
Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich
Series: Short Shorts [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/334384
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	Quarantine

**Author's Note:**

> Everything that's happening around the world is so fucking insane.
> 
> Also very polarizing.
> 
> On the one hand, you have people stuck at home, bored out of their minds.
> 
> On the other hand, you have people on the brink of death, some way past the brink, and others risking their own lives for others.
> 
> Crazy crazy times.
> 
> So, I decided to put this out there. Nothing ground-breaking happens in the story, but I just had the idea in my head and I wanted to put it out there.
> 
> Also, to set the premise of the story, Ian and Mickey never got together. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Ian winced once he finally entered the house.

Walking up from the road, he could hear the music pounding through the walls. But it was a completely different sensory overload once he made his way across the threshold.

Earlier that day, the powers that be made an announcement finally acknowledging the pandemic and finally decided to start doing something about it.

Too little, too late if you asked Ian but hey, at least they’re doing something.

Ian has been on the job the past few weeks, responding to one 9-1-1 call after another, all concerning the same symptoms, the same virus, and yet the people in the best position to help have chosen to look the other way.

There was something so obviously wrong and Ian could not fathom why everyone was acting like everything’s just dandy.

Ian grinned at the thoughts running through his mind.

Hell, he’s part of the problem now isn’t he? The lockdown is scheduled to take effect in a few hours and instead of stocking food and getting ready to bunker down, here he was at some random’s house, hell-bent on enjoying his last night of freedom.

He’ll make up for it tomorrow.

Tomorrow, he’ll be behind the wheel, being a hero, driving patients from their homes to the hospitals, serving his country like he dreamt of doing once upon a time. But, tonight. Tonight, he gets to be reckless.

Hell, he’s probably infected now anyways.

“The fuck are you doing standing there with your dick in your hand?” Mandy yelled over the music.

Ian smiled. “Happy end of the world.” He walked over to give his best friend a hug. “Missed you!”

He took a minute to look at Mandy from head to toe. The last time Ian saw her was when her shitshow of a relationship ended with Lip.

“Hooking’s treating you well.” Ian said teasingly.

“It’s called an escort service, bitch. And yes, I look great, fuck you very much.”

“What brings you back?”

Mandy scoffed. “The fucking Armageddon apparently. When the news says shit about a virus that can be spread through spit, hookers around the world mourn.” Mandy says dramatically. “Also that fucking quarantine. I’d rather be stuck in a house with my brothers than drive myself crazy being locked up in that shoebox of an apartment that I live in.”

Ian hesitated. “What about Terry?”

Mandy shrugged. “Way ahead of you. Mickey, Iggy and I hit up grocery store after grocery store, squirreling away a month’s supply of booze to keep him drunk and happy. Didn’t even have to bring out the ‘ol Milkovich sticky fingers, people are going nuts in the stores we pretty much just walked out with the loot.”

Ian nodded, satisfied. They made their way to wherever the drunks were coming from in an effort to find the source of the beer that seemed to just flow through everyone in attendance.

“Whose house is this anyway?” Ian asked, looking around.

“Some fucker Mickey knows who apparently doesn’t leave the house without packing. Bought a crapload of ghost guns from Mickey yesterday. God knows what for.”

“How’s Mickey?” Ian asked. “Haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Oh, you know, working in the family business. Just got outta jail the third time a month ago so, you know, giving Collin a run for his money.”

Ian chuckled. He used to pay Mickey no mind. Just one of the millions of Milkoviches running around the Southside. That was until he decided to make a grand statement by coming out in the middle of the alibi, Terry being the primary witness.

Now, Ian’s developed a soft spot for Mickey.

He likes to think of it as gay solidarity.

“How’s Mickey and Pax?” Ian asked, finally spotting a rogue bottle of beer and taking a sip while mentally calculating the amount he can drink before he starts being loopy.

Mandy laughed. “Well, it looks like he finally got some sense knocked into him, halle-fucking-lujah. It only took him two years in a six by eight jail cell with the ‘love of his life’ for him to realize that he’s been chasing after an idea instead of a human being.”

“Shit, Mandy. That was deep.” Ian chuckled.

“Fuck off.” Mandy elbowed Ian in the side. She took another sip of her drink. “Well speaking of the devil.”

“Faggots.” Mickey greeted as he walked over and made a move for Mandy’s beer.

Mandy quickly chugged her drink and raised the bottle triumphantly afterwards. “Too slow bitch!”

Mickey muttered a curse before grabbing Ian’s bottle instead.

Ian sighed in resignation. Just as well. He was nearing his daily booze limit anyways.

When it was clear that Ian wasn’t gonna do anything to retaliate, Mickey relaxed and happily drank his secondhand beer.

“So, you ready to be locked up in that sardine can you call a house?” Mandy nodded to Ian.

Ian shrugged letting out a noncommittal sound. “It’s not as busy anymore these days. It’s just me, Debbie, Carl and Liam. Maybe Frank but who the fuck knows these days.”

Mandy froze, too subtly for Ian to notice but Mickey definitely did.

“Yeah? Heard from Fiona recently?” Mandy cautiously asked.

“Here and there. Just the occasional ‘Are you guys still alive?’ phone call.” Ian replied casually.

Mandy nodded, feigning nonchalance. “Cool.”

“Yeah.” Ian said obliviously. “And Lip and Tammy are pretty much still our neighbors so, you know, no big deal.”

“Just fucking peachy, huh?” Mickey said sarcastically as he saw his sister’s face fall at the mention of her ex.

“Yup.” Ian replied, still not noticing the change in the air. “It’s great they found the spot right by our house. Especially with Freddie, they’ll definitely need an extra pair of hands, you know?”

“Freddie?” Mandy asked.

Mickey shook his head as he witnessed his sister’s masochism in action.

“Yeah, their son.” Ian said before realizing who was asking what. “Shit, Mandy. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

“Nah, it’s fine.” Mandy waved Ian off. “I’ll just- uh- go take a leak.”

“Good one, Firecrotch.” Mickey chuckled.

“Jesus, Mickey. Warn a guy next time.” Ian said as he watch Mandy scurry away.

“How’s that fun for me?” Mickey grinned.

Ian gave in and chuckled. “Yeah? Remind me to bring Pax up next time Mandy’s here.”

Mickey shrugged. “Be my fucking guest, Pennywise. Doesn’t bother me at all. Been there, banged that, ain’t doing that again.”

“What are you saying, Mick? You celibate now?” Ian teased.

“Why? You gonna change my mind, Ronald Mc-fucking-Donald?” Mickey grinned, eyebrows waggling.

Ian couldn’t even try to stop the laugh that escaped through his lips. “You running out of redheads to reference? All you got are clowns?”

“Well if the shoe fits.”

Ian grinned. “Well, clown shoes are pretty big and you know what they say about big feet.”

Now it was Mickey’s turn to laugh.

“So, Mandy told me about your guys’ plan about keeping Terry drunk throughout the quarantine.” Ian said.

Mickey’s face fell. “Not enough booze in the world, Gallagher.”

“Shit. Sorry. None of my business.” Ian quickly said.

Mickey gave Ian a small grin. “You’re on a fucking roll tonight. Want me to line my brothers up so you can take a jab at each one?”

Ian gave Mickey a relieved smile. “I’m not looking to get killed anytime soon, thank you very much. I’d much rather die by this fucking virus than by a signature Milkovich beat down.”

“Damn straight.” Mickey muttered. “Nah, Terry’s fucking cool most of the time. Fucker knows I’m the only one keeping the business moving and fag bashing me would mean throwing money down the drain for however fucking long it’ll take me to recover so you know, bright side.” Mickey said, his last two words dripping with sarcasm.

Ian nodded, deeming it wise to just keeping his mouth shut when it came to Terry.

Mickey disposed of the now empty bottle and grabbed another one off of an innocent passerby.

Ian shrugged apologetically as the poor beer-robbery victim gave them the stink eye.

Mickey drained the bottle and apparently made the decision to unload his worries onto Ian. “The shit about keeping Terry wasted is how un-fucking-predictable that gets, you know?”

Ian nodded. “Yeah, I get it.”

Another bottle materialized in Mickey’s hand.

Ian frowned and looked around to see if Mickey victimized another poor party guest but his search was disrupted once again by Mickey.

“So, best case scenario, I stay in my fucking room and hopefully Terry limits the pistol whipping to once a week. Worst case scenario, I leave the house, cops throw me back in the clink for violating the curfew or whatever martial law shit they got planned and I’m at a safe distance from Terry.”

“Shit Mick, bleak options you got there.”

“Yeah, well.” Mickey said dismissively. “What’s your version of the upcoming apocalypse?”

Ian shrugged. “Business as usual for me. Driving people to and from the hospital until this whole thing blows over.”

“Uber driver?” Mickey guessed.

Ian chuckled. “Close. EMT.”

“EMT, huh? You’ve gone all official on me.” Mickey replied, moderately impressed. “What happened to that human freckle who wanted to get shot in the front lines of whatever-stan years ago?”

Ian frowned. “You remembered?”

“Only cause you wouldn’t shut your mouth about it and, in extension, Mandy wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it.”

“Well, after I enlisted and attempted to steal a military chopper, I don’t think they were too excited to ship me off to defend the country.” Ian laughed. “Only way I got off the hook without the jail time was to use the ‘insanity’ card and say I have bipolar.”

“Shit.” Mickey replied, momentarily forgetting the beer he had in his hand. “How in the fuck did you fake bipolar?”

Ian chuckled. “Didn’t have to.”

“To shitty genes.” Mickey raised his bottle and took a sip.

Before the two could say anything else, the music stopped.

“Twenty seconds ‘til midnight!” Someone yelled.

“Nineteen!” What seemed like the whole house joined in on the countdown to the start of the quarantine.

“Eighteen!”

“Seventeen!”

“Fifteen!”

Amidst all the noise, Mickey heard the faint sound of sirens.

“Do you hear that?” Mickey turned to Ian.

Ian shrugged.

“I think I hear police sirens.” Mickey said, eyes moving quickly to the nearest window, looking for the telltale blue and red lights.

“Shit.” Ian muttered. “Quarantine. They’re enforcing it.” Ian listened carefully and after a while, he finally heard what Mickey heard. “Wait, those aren’t cop cars. They’re ambulances sirens.”

True enough, after a couple of minutes, people dressed in Hazmat suits started spilling out from the big whit vehicles parked by the curb.

“Fuck. You think we should get out of here?” Mickey turned to Ian.

“Nah. Just a mass testing. We’re good.”

“The fuck does that mean?”

“They’re going through the houses, seeing if anyone’s infected. Been to a couple of this with my partner. But it was the early days so no suits.” Ian watched as the EMT’s walked through the yard in full gear, goggles and all. “Probably a precautionary measure.”

“What happens to the infected?”

“Quarantined.”

“You mean at home?” Mickey asked, gears turning in his head.

“Nah, probably a hospital. 14 days, isolation, no contact with other people.”

“And you said you went to these mass testings with no suit. Was anyone infected?”

Ian frowned and turned to Mickey. “I mean, there were people who were coughing but as I said, early days, no results yet. Why?” Ian grinned. “You scared I’ll infect you?”

The front door was opened, and the men in suits came in.

Along with the tests came the interview. ‘Have you travelled recently?’ ‘Did you have any contact with someone who tested positive?’ ‘Are you experiencing any of the following symptoms?’

But Ian and Mickey didn’t notice any of these things happening because right as the front door opened, Mickey leaned in and suddenly kissed Ian.

Deep.

With tongue.

~

‘Not a bad setup, right?’

Mickey typed on his phone and hit send. Then, he looked up to watch Ian through the clear plastic wall separating their tents.

Ian picked his phone up, scoffed at the message and raised his middle finger towards Mickey. Once he saw that his sentiments were received, he picked up his phone and typed a message.

Ian: Next time you formulate a plot to stick your tongue down my throat to get out of being quarantined with your father, a warning would’ve been great, fucker.

Mickey: How’s that fun for me?

Ian grinned at the message.

Mickey: Besides, you’re the one who had the damn virus and you’re mad at me?

Ian: We don’t even know if we have it yet you fucking walnut.

Mickey: Well, I ain’t mad. Three squares, a bed, no one breathing down my neck waiting to see if I do something too homo. I could get used to this.

Ian: You do know we could die, right?

Mickey: That’s a hazard I’m facing either way. Either get fucked up by Terry or by this made in China virus.

Ian frowned and looked at Mickey through the wall.

Mickey gave him a sad smile and a shrug.

Ian decided to lighten up the situation.

Ian: Well you coulda given me a better last kiss if we do end up dying.

Mickey: Fuck you that kiss was perfect.

Ian grinned while he read Mickey’s reply.

Ian: Also completely unnecessary. They were gonna quarantine everyone in that house.

Ian: And we shared a bottle of beer.

Mickey: Jesus. Just my luck. The last fucking kiss of my life and the lips happened to be attached to someone like you.

Ian: Oh fuck off.

Mickey grinned and sent another loving gesture towards Ian in the form of a raised finger.


End file.
